Emmanuel Aronie Poems
Emmanuel Aronie – Poet and Screenwriter
At a time of war, pain, sorrow and living with the unknown, Emmanuel Aronie lives without fear. He has no complaints. Asked why he came to Ukraine last August, he says he just felt inspired to come to Ukraine with the intention of supporting the people and their culture against Russian imperialism.
At the same time, he had decided during his visit that he would use his time in Ukraine to work on a sci-fi screenplay titled ´The God Pill’. But 8000 words into the project, the play stalled and Emmanuel found himself writing poetry – political poetry – war poetry. The screenplay was done.
To him, this spontaneity of pro Ukrainian poetry was surprising. And yet not surprising.
Now in his seventies, he has visited Ukraine several times in the nineties. Despite being American born and bred, his ancestry includes three Ukrainian grandparents and one Lithuanian grandparent. Is it surprising that he feels attached to Ukraine?
Until these poems poured out of him, Emmanuel had enjoyed his few visits to Ukraine giving English language classes and sharing his spiritual life with those who were interested. He also founded a film club.
Now that he has allowed poetry to take the place of his story telling film script, his Ukraine-ness is subliminally outed through his expression of fury against a war not wanted, not expected and not needed. Although he writes in the English language, the poems are currently being translated by a professional translator into Ukrainian and Russian.
We are pleased to publish his early poems.
19 Things
Beautiful leaves strewn everywhere,
My nose loves autumn’s fragrance,
Buses zoom by, traffic lights turn,
Red, yellow, green.
People walk about on missions,
I have to pee,
But I seek to see,
Flowers, plants, veggies for sale,
Grannies sitting, selling, waiting,
Sidewalk capitalism.
An old saggy faced woman,
with a sour, pained expression.
How many moments made this face ?
A crowd around the KFC,
Fried chicken from America, wow !
Musicians make music,
People leave money in their cases.
An old couple argues,
used to each other,
oblivious to passers-by.
Poles, wires, infrastructure,
Bulki rolls full of poppy seeds,
“Two shtuk (pieces), please.”
The horse chestnuts
look like primitive weapons or aliens.
The reason Russia invaded Ukraine:
Power.
The reason they’re going to lose:
The deep abiding soul and spirit
of the Ukrainian people.
If the Russian government
believed in God,
If they could really hear God’s voice,
they would never have invaded –
robbed, raped, bombed, killed, etc.
They would be deeply ashamed
and beg for mercy.
But we all know,
this will never happen,
And this will be bad for them.
I pray for the Russian people,
who really believe in God.
But somehow, they allowed
these hooligans, gangsters
and very rich criminals
to take control of Mother Russia.
God help them all !!
That should be at least 19 things –
We’ll confirm at the prorub
(That’s the hole cut in the ice),
on Kreshchenie,
The Blessing of the Waters,
January 19, 2023 –
See you there.
October 24, 2022
True Words
True Words,
will avenge those brave souls,
stuck in prison cells,
while tyrants gloat
and unwittingly plan
their own undoing.
True Words
will avenge those brave souls,
killed and wounded,
while protecting Ukraine,
their motherland,
as others continue
the worthy battle,
until the invader is finally gone.
True Words
will describe the unworthy deeds,
this invader has done.
Maybe,
he stole and raped and killed
on our land.
These deeds will follow him
and like a merciless assassin,
murder him in his sleep,
poison his family
and disturb his every day.
Invader –
these are true words –
go home,
before you really hurt yourself
and cannot greet the dawn
or sleep at night,
with a joyful heart,
go home.
Wednesday September 28, 2022, Cherkassy, Ukraine
